Educational Groups - Programs & Tours

The Bonne Bay Marine Station offers a variety of programs and tours for students, and school groups. Students will explore marine life, use scientific equipment to sample seawater, and collect creatures found in the ocean. Please take a look at the programs offered below and contact the Manager (allison.eaton@mun.ca) for more details and reservations.

Discovery Tours for School Groups

A boat tour of the central part of the bay will give students hands on contact with the marine environment. Students will use scientific equipment to sample seawater, and collect some of the smallest creatures found in the ocean. Then it's back to the marine station, (located dockside) for a closer look at some of the larger organisms living beneath the waves.

Students will:

Take a "Discovery Tour" of Bonne Bay fjord, lucky students may observe whales and bald eagles

Sample the properties of seawater

Collect fragile marine plankton, and learn about marine food webs

Take a guided tour of the Bonne Bay Marine Station

Observe deep water marine life in the stations aquaria

Get their hands wet among the rocky shore creatures living in our touch tank

Learn the importance of marine research

Departure Times:

Morning and afternoon tours, commencing late May, 2017.

Cost:

Number of Students

Departure Location

2017 Rates

TBD

from dock in Norris Point

$400 (HST included)

TBD

from dock in Woody Point

$450 (HST included)

Location:

Norris Point Waterfront

Reservations:

Trading Books for Boats in Bonne Bay

In 2005 a pilot program, Trading Books for Boats in Bonne Bay was offered to students in the Bonne Bay area and Gulf of St. Lawrence. The intent of the program is to provide students with a greater understanding and appreciation for water quality. This topic is an important component of the grade 8 science curriculum.

Program Outcome

Trading Books for Boats in Bonne Bay is an experiential program that takes place at Memorial University's Bonne Bay Marine Station in Norris Point. The program is designed to cover the length of a school day, starting with a presentation covering necessary background information and the plan for the day. Each class is then split in half, with one group of students being directed to a charter boat for an exploration of Bonne Bay, the other group remains in the marine station to complete a series of learning stations. Student groups are reversed for the afternoon session. All students gather for a wrap-up and feedback session at the end of the day.

The marine sampling component takes place aboard Bon Tours water taxi the `MV Seal Islander'. The boat leaves the dock beside the marine station. Students learn about the formation of Bonne Bay, and how to read a marine chart. Measurements taken include salinity, dissolved oxygen and temperature, and turbidity. Students also collect live plankton for observation under the microscope. Data is recorded and will be entered into a spreadsheet made available to all schools through the Bonne Bay Marine Station website.

Students in the Marine Station rotate through several learning stations covering topics such as tidal movements, plankton, salinity, & the effects of over fishing. They read charts, examine diagrams, conduct experiments, and answer workbook questions pertaining to each topic. Most of the stations contain a hands-on component with interactive experiments.

Partners:

Newfoundland English School District

Bonne Bay Marine Station, Memorial University

Community-University Research for Recovery Alliance(CURRA)

BonTours

ACAP Humber Arm Environmental Association Inc.

Ocean Learning Partnership

Ocean Learning Partnership

Bonne Bay Marine Station and Memorial University signed an MOU with Ocean Learning Partnership in October 2013 that formalized a mutually beneficial relationship aimed at ocean education & technology focused outreach. A pilot project in September 2013 allowed high school students in the region to explore marine technology and fly a submersible remotely operated vehicle. The program will continue to develop and new offerings available in coming years.